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Kaylyn slowly walks to the woods just outside the camp. She finds a small creek and sits beside it. Hariel sees the idea and sits across from her. She motions for Alaric and Micheal to do the same.

"There is a quest in which I need a few warriors I can trust," she says, "ones who can keeps the secrets of my family, and that of my clan, away from their own. If you can do this, I would have you help me, and my brother, with something no one save Shadowsage knows has happened."

"You know you can trust me Kay," Hariel says.

"No Hariel, this is something you cannot do," Kaylyn says, "fighting with our clan is one thing, but if I send you on this, Anubis will never forgive me."

Thinking of Kaylyn's only brother, Hariel slowly nodds and looks at the other warriors.

Kaylyn waits until Shadowsage is seated before explaining.

"You do not have to go, but you must not tell anyone what I will tell you," she says, "not until after the Clans have ment and I am able to tell them what is going on."

She takes a deep breath, then continues, looking at each warrior and finally Shadowsage.

"I'm not sure what you know about the Wolfriders," she says, "there are a lot of legends, but all point to the begining. The Wolfriders and Wildcats have been blood rivals since before the Inferno Clan split off from us."

She pulls her knees to her chest, her face going from a sure warrior that everyone knew, to the look of a worried sister or mother.

"A child from one of our warrior clans has been taken by the Wolfriders," she says, "they should be in exile, but some have come out to destory the Wildcats. That is our reason here. But no one knows about the child that has been taken. The child is a girl, about six years of age. Her two siblings tried to save her, but could not, so the brother has gone to see what he can do."

She looks at Hariel for a moment, then her eyes rest on Micheal and Alaric.

"The child is Dannin Hyrosha, my baby sister," Kaylyn says, "my only brother Anubis is even now looking for her, but he will need help should the Wolfriders retaliate. I want you to help him get back my sister."

Alaric shook his head and looked at Kaylyn.

"I'll only go if you are going, or if you make it a formal request. I may have no love for my immediate family, but I do still have -"

"Alaric. Choose for yourself. "

Shadowsage interrupted him.

"Your other responsabilities can be taken care of by another, just as soon enough mine will pass to another."

Alaric bowed his head.

Michael muttered, but eventually nodded.

"I'll go, even if only to escape a wel-placed-"

"Don;t use me for your reasoning. You can;t go, who do you think will be filling in for Alaric's duties? And mine as well for that matter?"

That got the full attention of Michael.

"Why are you going to leave?"

"I wonl;t be."

"Then why will I be taking over your duties? Does that have anything to do with your fainting spell earlier?"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"It might, but it more has to do with the fact that there is an impending war of epic proportions that will tear everything apart, even rend the universe in two."

"And how would you know that, hm? Are you one of the *so* distinguished Dragon clan membersa, the ones wiped out long ago because of the atrocities they committed? scream Did you like hearing the children you tortured scream?"

She flinched, and Alaric punched Michael- hard enough to knock him back.

stressed "Keep yoput tongue in line, michael. She saved your tail a time or two if memory serves me right."

He looked at Kaylyn, and nodded.

"I'll help. It is the least I can do."

Michael stood up, and glared down at Alaric.

"What, you're going to protect that.... thing?"

"Michael, do you even remember the way you thought of her even a minute ago? You';ve seen how she is, how can you accuse her of murder?"

"Because now it all makes sense. ninja The fact that she has a staff with a dragon on it even though she's been adopted by the ancient. Her fainting fit, it was a vision, right? mad What clan did all of the Seers spring from? The same one that was wiped out because of the evil it created."

Shadowsage had her head bowed, and was really doing an admirable job of controlling herself, only a few tears had fallen from her face.

Alaric stood between michael and shadoesage, al but visibly bristling.

"You of all people, michael.... Sage-Shadowsage-san is one of the most compassionate and kind people I have ever met. She actually *listens* when you bring your troubles to her, hells, she even *presided* over my sister and Jumei's wedding, as near-secret as it was before they ran off on their honeymoon."

Michael drew a blade, preparing an attack.

"Don;t force me, michael. I'm going to help Kaylyn-sama and I have no intention of doing so injured."

The girl spoke up, her young appearance at odds with the horseness in her voice, though she did not look up.

"If my presence is such a bother to you, Michael, I'll happily leave. Anubis is going to get himself killed if he does not get help. Kaylyn definately has one thing right- if you do not band together, then everyone, even those not involved with this battle, will die alone in separate places. Some sooner, some later, and eventually onlt the handful who survived will only look back and mourn what could have been."

She turned her back to them, away from Hariel, her black hair swirling in the soft breeze, slight points of her not-quite0human ears peeking through. She looked.... like a very old woman in the body of a child right then, as though she had been magically placed in a form that did not fit.

"Do as you feel you must... What peace there is will only last another few weeks at most, no more than two or three months. Many will die, and the universe will be split. What becomes of you, and what that universe turns out to become is dependent upon only a handful of poeple- each of you, and a few others, no more."

She stood shakily, walking a few steps to lean on a tree, head bowing.

"Yes, I am the last of the Dragon clan, perhaps it is time I laid aside my own masks and claimed it, and reminded people that we were wiped out because we were pacifists, and it was our neighboring clan who desired our stregnths that destroyed us and laid their cruelty at our feet."

Alaric had been watching her, and his soft comment, and her following reply, stunned Michael into sitting down.

"You speak as though you were there."

"I was. I am the last of my race and the last of my clan. They were destroyed before my eyes and I could do nothing about it. It was one of the Wildcats who saved me, I was a lot younger then, the equivalent of an eight or ine year old child. They thought I was human, much as they were at the time. They never found out differently, when they spoke of the horrible crimes laid at the feet of those who had been my family, I ran away. They are the only ones who might have known the truth. My kind was forgotten or used as a nightmare scare for naughty children. It was twenty years ago that the Ancient took me into his clan as a negotiator. I watched most of those who will be involved with the change of the times grow into the people they have become. As usual, when tragety struck, I could do nothing but help clean up the mess afterwords. I could not intervene. Even when a clan was destroyed in near-entirety, I could not intervene- much as I wanted to in order to prevent that massacre."

Now she tiurned her head, her eyes were slit-pupiled, like a feline's..... but with a reptilian flavor to them. Dragon's eyes- and eyes that were full of sorrow.

"Even now, I know that some of you will die, that some of you will survive, and where and when if you knew ahead of time some of those deaths and some of those losses might not happen- but they are things I cannot tell you. I cannot tell you because that foreknowledge can and will alter that future, and stands a better chance of destroying everyone that it does of helping. That is what my 'fainting fit' as you so eloquently put it, Michael, was all about. How much would you like seeing some of the people who have become good frienfds to you die before your eyes?"

Michael was blinking, too stunned by this abrupot revelation to react- Alaric, however....

He took a few steps towards Sage, seeming not very surprised at all.

"Is that why you wake up screaming? or crying?"

She closed her eyes, as michael again blinked, shocked again by the fact that alaric knew that bout her.

"Hai. But that has how it has always been."

Alaric turned to Kaylyn, looking from one to the other, before settling on looking at Kaylyn- though he spoke to Shadowsage in very familiar terms.

"Sage-san. Is what I spoke to you of this morning going to come to pass because of what I feared?"

"Yes, alaric, though it will happen thousands of years later because of what you fear, if you choose right."

He nodded, and bowed.

"Kaylyn-hime, may I speek with you alone for a few minutes?"

Michael sighed.

"You ask the impossible..... but hey, it might be done. I'll try, but I'm not a good diplomat."

A dry smile.

"I tend to tell the truth."





Shadowsage nodded at Kay;yn, ees sad as she watched her go.

"Wind to thy wings."





Alaric found her tent easily enough, but nervously stood outside, unwilling to go in wihtoutm her express permission.

Michael chuckled, forcedly.

"Either that, or find an enemy big enough for them to forget their squabbling about. I'd rather get on their bad side than tell them the truth but..... "

Shadowsage had been walking away, heading for what had been unofficially labeled as her living space- a small cave set inside the clifftop she usually meditated on. She was using her staff as a walking stick.



As soon as she was a ways away, Michael turned serious.

"I donlt know if I can trust her now.... not knowing he is a dragon clan member.... they by all accounts are an evil group of beings! Even the nicest ones were only acting. How can anyone possibly know her real motives?"

"Does it matter?" Hariel shakes his head, "How many times has she been there for us? If the sins of the fathers are on the children, then we are all to blame and we all have bloodstained lives. Kay doesn't know my Clan, but I do."

"We all have our faults, so hers are more seen than ours," he shruggs.

"But when have the sages ever really been completely wrong about an entire Clan?" Michael was looking off after Shadowsage, his thoughts visibly torn.

Hariel timidly raises a hand, "Uh, mine."

That made him blink. "Really?"

Hariel shruggs, sitting by the creek. "Yah, anyone tell you about the Lost Clan?"

Michael thought for a long minute before he shook his head. "Maybe once or twice in passing, but not officially."

"It was one of the Clans that died out after the war with the Wolfriders, the Clan that caused most clans to loose their magic," Hariel says, "how do I start. They were neutral in the Great War. The only Clan to be so."

************************************************************

Alaric followed Kaylyn in, and looked everywhere rather than at her.

"There's.... a few things I should tell you before we leave.... while we have time and relative peace and quiet to talk in and ..... oh I'm just not good at this sort of thing!"

Her took a dep breath.

"Sage-san is a very good friend of mine, I've known her for years, and we've gotten very close over the last few months..... but we're nothimg more than close friends, not- **sigh**"

He looked away again, eyes landing on the overflowing desk, then back on the floor.

"I was once engaged to that noisome woman out there, but I wanted none of it- "

He sighed again and shook his head.

"I'm really the black sheep of my family- diplomats, my entire clan. All but me. I've enjoyed the swerd arts ever since a certain girl we both know showed me them a dozen years ago. That;s how I met her. She was my first teacher. Did you know she can use two scimitars better than most men can use any single wepon? Anyway, it was by her suggestion I came out here. My sister followed when she convinced the rest of the clan I might need help. She's the cause of today;s ruckus."

He shook his head.

"I'm babbling. I shouldn;t take up so much of your time with nonsense...."

"I- nevermind." He turned, taking a step toward the tent flap, obviously not having gotten out when he had wanted to.

Kaylyn smiles, flopping onto the thickest layer of blankets. She seems more at ease here, almost like she hasn't a care in the world

"I know that story," she says, "my Clan tried to marry me off once or twice, but my dad always forbid it. Don't worry about it. You do what you feel is right, that's all you can do. Every Clan will need their warriors soon."

He sighed, stopping short of the door.

"I know. My sister was better at diplomacy than I was anyway." A dry smile.

"Funny thing is, she outfights me with her weapon of choice, too. She's a heck of a sai fighter."

He shook his head, raising a hand, as if to leave.

True to her Wildcat bloodline, Kaylyn is up in a flash, and she grabs her arm in an iron grip. She shakes her head, spinning him to look at her. "You are one of the best fighters I know, and I will need your skill for my task ahead. You don't know what I will do, but if you will keep it to yourself, even from Sage-san and the others, I'll tell you and maybe we can do this together."

Alaric's face colored slightly when he realized how close he was to Kaylyn, and he began to stutter.

Kaylyn's dark eyes lock with Alaric's own. She shakes her head, "You have to believe in yourself. That's the way a warrior lives on. Not just day to day."

"K-k-kaylyn- ah-"

Kaylyn gives him a crooked smile, "Trust me."

"ah-" His face turned bright red when he realized he was no longer just close to Kaylyn. He froze, eyes shooting wide, as someone muttered on the other side of the tent something about damned worn spots in the grass. Quickly backing away, he sputered again. "ahh.. s-sorry I was pushed and-"

Kaylyn raises an eyebrow, looking first at Alaric, then at the shadow outside the tent. She had an idea who had "pushed" Alaric, and made a mental note to speak with her suspect.

Alarics face was still slightly pink-cheeked. "Ah- I-I'd better go-"

Kaylyn then does something unexpected. With one hand still with an iron on his arm, the other hand takes a fistful of tunic and pulls his lips to her own. After a moment, she herself turns to let him leave, forgetting she is still holding his arm.

Alaric blinks a few times, too stunned or too shocked to really react for a long minute. She had his full attention now, his eyes resting on her face in a mix of surprise and...... something undefinable- something akin to suspicion mixed with wonder, in a good way.

"K-kaylyn?" His tone put a world of questuions in just that name, and he blinked and blushed violently again, quickly repeating her name, as thouhg to erase the familiarity he had just spoken it with. "K-Kaylyn-hime?"

Kaylyn looks back at him, a sadness in her eyes as well as hope. She finally releases her arm and flops back on the blankets beside the table.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," she says, "I'm sure there is someone out there you look for. Tell Sage to meet me here at dawn and we'll leave."

He shook his head. "th-that's not-" He took a deep breath. "Speaking of Sage, I guess she was right, I always put my foot in my mouth when I'm trying to say something personally important to anyone else." His stutter was gone, as he bravely (to him) too a single step towards Kaylyn. "I-" He sighed, and again seemed to try to say whatever it was that he had been trying to say from the start. "I don;t look for someone out there." He colored again, before looking back down at the ground.

Kaylyn flashed him a crooked smile, "Then are you a simlple warrior, with only your blade for company?"

He shook his head, and closed his eyes, his whisper brely audible. "It's your silver hair that blinds me to them" He looked up, color fading from his cheeks. A mask, as obvious as the ones Sage wore, as he bowed.

"As you say, Kaylyn-hime." There was a sadness in his voice, and a bit of frustration, perhaps at himself. "I'll.... tell Sage-san..."

He started to turn, but hesitated, agin, it was obvious there was more he wanted to say.... but by now it was also obvious he had the hardest time saying it.

Kaylyn smirks slightly, not really looking at him at first.

"You know it is pointless to wisper to a Wildcat, they can hear every word," she turns and smiles at him

He froze, his face visibly coloring again. "ah.... you did?" There was a bit of hope in hsi voice, so fragile a harsh word would shatter it.

Kaylyn knew better than to laugh, but the look on his face brought a real smile to her face, one no one had seen in years outside her family. She slowly nodds. "Every word."

He closed his eyes again. Apparently, she had just helped him find some courage. "I stopped looking for anyone out there since almost the first day I saw *you*...." he trailed off, and looked down again. It was plain that he had more to say, as he took a minute to regather his courage to say it. Finally.

Finally, Kaylyn does chuckle a bit, "That day, out on the field where I was in a fight? That stupid No-Datchi that's as big as I am! I think that was the first time I saw you. I was comming to your Clan for, why was I there........"


"I'm no good at telling anyone how I feel, even sometimes to Sage I have trouble and I trust her wiht everything-" He shook his headm contintuing in rapid siccession. "What I'm trying tosayisIloveyou...."


He cut himself off, and closed his eyes, head still bowed

.Kaylyn slowly rose to her feet, "You're running your words together again. You know, you do that when you're nervous. You don't have to be, it's just me, just Kay."

He took a dep breath, not chainging his position, and visibly steeled himself. "K-k-k- Kaylyn-hime.... Aishiteru."

Kaylyn smiles, "I know."

He seemed..... sad at that, as he did turn to leave. "Then...... I guess I'd better go...."

Kaylyn sets a hand on his shoulder, "You don't see it. Sage knows, and she told me. I'm fine with it. No one has ever said that to me before. No one has ever seen me as more than the heir to Hyrosha's armor.

He stilled, trying not to show it, but.... she had his full attention despite the fact that he was facing away from her. She always had.

Kaylyn wrapped her arms around one of Alarics own, pulling herself close to him. She rests her head on his shoulder. "I'll never be more than a mother. I was never a child. I'll never grow up. When this is all over, the only name I will have is the armor I wear. The only armor in my Clan that can destroy as well as create."



He shook his head, removing his arm from hers only to take her by the shoulders, gently. "Is that what you think? you, the silver haired, borwn-eyed beautiful woman who draws the attention of so many? the diplomat who can outtalk even Shadowsage at times? the warrior who can trump almost anyone else with your chosen weapons? If nothing else, you will not be remembered for simply an Armor."

He colred, realizing what he had said and looked down again, hands falling to his sides.

Kaylyn lets out a long sigh, "So what do you see? All I can see, all anyone sees is someone who will do what needs to be done, who weilds a sword when needed, and fades into shadows when she is not wanted."

A dry chuckle. "You never fade, you vanish, even when there are people who notice you even if you're in the back of the crowd. You...." once again, he looked aat the blanket-strewn floor. "You really want to know what I see?"

"Alaric," she says, "I would not have asked if I didn't want to know. You seem to be the only one outside my family that sees me as anything but a warrior."

"Sage sees you as more." another dry laugh. "Sometimes I'm not sure whose friendhsip she values more, yours, or my whining."

"Sage-san, she is one of the few that knows what I can do, and it scares me," she says, "do you realize I could summon a power so great that would destroy every Clan? They don't that, but my Clan knows, and that is why I travel. I could destroy everything if I do not keep my control as a warrior. No one saw what happened when they took my sister. You don't know what I did."

"I don;t think she cares what you're capable of. I suspect she's capable of worse. I would be rather pissed as well if my sister were kidnapped." Not saying it in as many words, he implied that Kaylyn could do no wrong.

"Besides, it has been my experience that she is a very accurate judge of charachter- and she seems to be able to read everyone like an open scroll. Why fear something like a big bad power when it won't be used poorly?"

Kaylyn shook her head, the calm additude that everyone else knew falling away. Very few had seen her this way. "So it was all right to take my armor's sword and...." she lets out a long sigh

"What did you do?"

She shook her head again, "It doesn't matter. No one can fix it, and now I have to stop Anubis before he does the same thing."

Alaric looked at Kaylyn, putting a hand on her cheek. "*we* have to stop Anubis. The sun rises and sets with you. That's why I can;t ever seem to be able to tell you.... Why else would I get klutzy every time you;re around the training grounds? You are so beautiful and so distant.... Like the ice princess from the stories, that which cannot be touched by someone like me, with only a claim as a warrior. You are so beautiful, so intellignet, so *alive*- I-" He looked down. "I can only really hope you might let me at least just keep looking at you...."


Kaylyn pulls herself close to him, like a child hugging someone to make all the shadows fall away. "I can't turn back. I have to start them. Then when the war starts, I'll finish the one thing that will save or destory us all. But I can't do this all alone. No one can know what I'm planning."

He delicately hugged her back, still so very unsure. "Then.... don't be alone. After all, there has to be someone good enough for you out there...... " his voice droped so soft even Kylyn had trouble hearng it, as he did not mean to let the thought escape. "even if I wish it could be me...."

Kaylyn closes her eyes, speaking softly, but loud enough that Alaric could hear her, "The Wolfrider general has an armor, almost like mine. I will split it apart, then Ancient will seal them with a virture so they can be used, and we'll end this once and for all."

"That..... won;t be easy for you to do.... you.... you want me to help you?"

Kaylyn slowly nodds, "You're the only one I can trust with this. Sage can't know, she'll try and stop what's all ready started. I know her. I'm not supposed to do this, but I'm the only one left with the Knowledge to make the armors of old."

"She might already know. she doesn;t meddle in EVERYTHINg, you know."

"She'll meddle in this one, trust me," she says.

"Are you so certain? She knew about the Lost Clan. She knew before other clans were destroyed completely. She should have meddled then." He sighed. "Kaylyn-hime..... I won;t tell her. My honor on it." He looked away.

"I...... My days are numbered, I already know that. I just had to tell you how I felt about you before time ran out. I don't know when or how, but I know I won;t see the end of whatever this war is going to bring. I don;t know how you feel about me, and perhaps, it really doesn;t matter anyway since I might not be around very long I donlt know. I just...." He paused. "I just had to tell you before it was too late."

"I can't loose you too," she says, "no, I won't let it happen. I can change that much. I know I can."

"It's ok. I donlt know when or how, but I do know why..... and I'm ok with that. You wont lose me. Not really. Not ever. Not if-" His breath caught, and he trailed off. He couldn't say it. He didnlt dare. He didn;t dare because he still did not know for sure. She had never said it..... and he didn;t trust hsi own readings of her, not from his point of view.